The invention relates to the removal of filter paper from yarn dye springs. For the purposes of yarn dyeing, wire stainless steel springs are wrapped with filter paper. After wrapping with filter paper, the paper is affixed to the springs with a water-soluable adhesive. Then the springs are wound with yarn to thereby form a "yarn package", and are compressed onto a yarn spindle carrier. In this compressed state, the yarn packages are dyed. Although dyeing dissolves the adhesive holding the filter paper portions together, the filter paper still has a tendency to stick and become intermeshed with the coils of the springs because of the compression thereof, and even after unwinding of the yarn from the springs, the filter paper remains.
In order to effectively reuse the dye springs, it is necessary to remove the old filter paper, and replace it with new filter paper. In the past this has been done by hand, an extremely costly and slow process. Proposals have been made to remove the paper in batches by burning it off, however, such proposals are not realistic since deposits would be left on the springs, and their resiliency would be impaired as a result of the extreme heat that would result.
According to the present invention, the filter paper is effectively removed from the dye springs by subjecting the springs to rough action such as by impacting them against one another, and agaiinst a rough stationary surface -- as by tumbling them. This has been found to be effective in removing all filter paper from approximately 95% of all dye springs -- the other 5% may readily be treated by hand. This tumbling may be accomplished by a conveyor adapted to travel in a semicircle having a plurality of spaced "pushers" associated therewith which result in periodic movement of the springs upwardly, to be released to provide tumbling falling thereof. A suction fan may be associated with the apparatus to effectively remove the paper released by the tumbling action. While prior art devices for the tumbling of articles have been known -- see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,073,077, 3,079,735, 3,715,084, and 2,212,560 for example -- it has not been known to remove filter paper from dye springs by tumbling, nor has the preferred apparatus for accomplishing this result according to the teachings of the present invention been known.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,840 shows a conveyor belt adapted to traverse a particular path and having extensions formed thereon, but does not show particular conveying means according to the apparatus of the present invention, especially adapted for tumbling dye springs. U.S. pat. Nos. 3,073,077 and 3,079,735 show particular conveyor slat members, however, they do not suggest particular frame means and guiding means associated therewith according to the present apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,560 shows a fan associated with a tumbler, however, the fan is merely for the drying of the work articles -- silverware -- and is not a suction fan for the removal of paper from the tumbling chamber.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved method -- and apparatus for practicing the method -- for the removal of filter paper from dye springs. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and the appended claims.